Israel has prepared a red carpet welcome for French President Francois Hollande who starts Sunday a 3-day visit to Jerusalem and Ramallah.
The president’s plane landed at Tel Aviv Ben Gurion airport at noon. He was warmly welcomed in a state ceremony by Israeli President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. ‘’Live France, Live Israel, Live the relations between Israel and France,’’ said Peres in his welcome speech.
‘’Mister President, you are a real friend of Israel,’’ said Netanyahu, who hailed the relations between two countries and in particular Paris’ stance on Syria and Iran.
In his response, President Hollande spoke also warmly of the relations between the two countries and said: ''Do you know our support of the security of Israel.'' He stressed that France will not yield on the nuclear proliferation. ''As long as we are not sure that Iran's nuclear program is dismantled, we will maintain our requests and sanctions,'' he added.
Responding to Peres and Netanyahu's words of welcome in French Hollande said in Hebrew: ''I am a friend of Israel and I will remain a friend of Israel.''
Israeli leaders have much appreciated the French firm stance in negotiations in Geneva with Iran on its nuclear programme. "It is true that we in Israel really enjoyed seeing the firm French stance towards Iran," Israeli President Shimon Peres told Le Journal du Dimanche weekly newspaper, adding that that the pressure on Iran should continue. "If Iran builds a bomb, every country in the Middle East will want to do the same," Peres said.
During the Geneval talks last weekend, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius warned his colleagues from the P5+1 (the 5 permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany) not to be fooled by Iran’s proposals saying that while “the initial text of the proposal made progress,” there were still a couple of unsatisfying points.
Those comments, which are similar to concerns Israel has expressed over the agreement, caused Iranian officials to slam Fabius, claiming his views "express the positions of the Zionist regime’’and that France ‘’is under Israeli influence.’’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also hailed the French position and urged Paris to stand firm in the negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program that are to resume next Thursday in the Swiss city.
"We hope France will not yield," Netanyahu told the Le Figaro newspaper.
"For us, the United States remains an important ally, the most important ally. But our relationship with France is also very special," he added.
"On the Iran issue, our countries have defended common stances for years, regardless of the party in power, and we are maintaining this vital partnership with President Hollande," Netanyahu told the French newspaper.
"We welcome his coherent and resolute stance on the Iranian issue," he said. On Sunday, Hollande was due to visit Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem and later
Hollande's three days of talks are expected to focus on Iran, the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and increasing economic cooperation between France and Israel.
The French president is accompanied by his life partner Valerie Trierweiler, six government ministers, including Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius and Economy and Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici, and 40 senior French businessmen.
After the airport welcome reception, Hollande travelled to Beit Hanassi, the Israeli presidential resience, to meet with Shimon Peres. He will then head to Mount Herzl, where he will lay wreaths on the graves of Theodor Herzl, the founder of the Zionism, and former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. He will then go to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Museum, and lay a wreath in the Hall of Remembrance.
On Sunday evening, Hollande will hold a working meeting with Netanyahu at the Prime Minister’s Residence, after which the two will hold a joint press conference and sign cooperation agreements. Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, will then host the French presidential couple for dinner.
Monday, Hollande is scheduled to visit St. Anne's Church in Jerusalem’s Old City and travel to Ramallah.
He will then return to Jerusalem to address the Knesset, Israel's 120-member parliament.
On Tuesday, the French President will attend a memorial ceremony at the graves of of the victims of Mohammed Merah, a French Islamist radical who killed four people, including three children, in the Ozar Hatorah Jewish school in Toulouse in March 2012.
French sources said that Hollande's visit is his longest trip abroad since becoming president two and a half years ago.